Hot and cold pack



ug. 5, 1952 N, J, Poux 2,606,005

HOT AND COLD PACK Filed July 3l, 1947 IN VEN TOR.

@nel JPoux.

BY f

Patented Aug. 5, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HOT AND COLD PACK Noel J. Poux, Meadville, Pa.

Application July 31, 1947, Serial No. 764,962

7 Claims. l

This invention relates to therapeutical devices of the type which are used for treating parts of the human body to remove heat therefrom or to apply heat thereto.

In the present invention, it is proposed to provide sucha device comprising a plurality ofindividual compartments with each having a quantity of a liquid sealed therein. The device is adapted to be placed in a deep freeze unit or other refrigerating apparatus in order to cool or freeze the liquid in the compartments if the device is to be used as an ice pack for withdrawing heat from the body, or is adapted to be placed in boiling water or a suitable heating unit for heating the liquid in the compartments if it is desired to use the device as a hot pack for applying heat to the body.

It is the general object of the present invention to provide an improved therapeutical device which is more exible than devices of similar character heretofore suggested and used so that the device will easily and readily conform to the part of the body to be treated.

It is another object of the invention to provide such a device which comprises a series of interconnected independent liquid-containing compartments whereby the liquid may be easily and quickly frozen or heated therein, as desired.

It is a more specific object of this invention'to provide such a device comprising a plurality of individual link-like members which may be easily and quickly interconnected with one another whereby the device may be conveniently adjusted to any desired length.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved therapeutical device made from a relatively thin, flexible, and impervious material which may be easily and inexpensively manufactured and, at the same time, strong and durable in its construction and efficient and effective in its use.

Various other objects and advantages of this invention will be more ap-parent in the course of the following specification, and will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, there is shown for the purpose of illustration, an embodiment which my invention may assume in practice.

In these drawings:

Fig. lis a plan view of one of the link members, in open position, employed in the making of the device of the present invention;

Fig, 2 is a side elevational View of the link member as shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of one of the link members, showing it in its closed or folded position;

Fig. 5 is a plan view showing a series of link members connected together to form my completed device; and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6 6 of Fig. 5.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the improved device of my invention consists of a plurality of link members 2 made from a flexible impervious' material such as rubber, but made preferably from one of the synthetic plastic materials such as vinyl, polyvinyl, polyethylene, nylon, acetate, either in sheet or film stock, It has been found that such plastic materials possess the required characteristics for such use. Each of the link members 2 consists of two pairs of semi-cylindrical compartments or cells 3 in which there is permanently sealed a suitable'liquidpreferably water. The compartments of each pair are connected together byrelatively thin and flat web portions rl in which there is provided a rectangular-shaped aperture 5, for a purpose hereinafter to be described. The innermost compartmentsl of each pair are interconnected by a relatively narrow and flat central thin portion f6.

Having described the construction of the individual link members, they are assembled in the following manner to provide the completed chainlike device in accordance with the present invention. Initially, one of the link members 2 is folded upon itself so that the one pair of semicylindrical compartments or cells 3 complement the other pair to form togetherv two cylindricallike portions,'as shown in Fig. 4. In such folded position, the apertures 5 in each of the web portions 4 between each pair of compartments 3 are in register with one another and the narrow fiat thin portion 6 is 'formed into a loop 'l extending outwardly to one side thereof perpendicular to the axis of the compartments or cells 3. To join the link members together, a pair of the semicylindrical compartment's'of another link member are threaded through the registered apertures 5 of the rst link with the narrow flat portion 6 of the second link member looped, as at 1, around the two complementary outermost semi-cylindrical compartments 3 and extending through the registered apertures 5 disposed therebetween, and with the pair of semi-cylindrical compartments of this second link member complementing the other pair thereof in the manner as above described for the rst described link member and with the apertures 5 between each pair of the secondlink in register, as before. The third and 3 Y each succeeding link member is assembled in the sam-e manner until a device of the desired length is obtained.

t will be understood that the loop portion 'I formed by the flat portions B when each of the link members is folded upon itself, surrounds the outer tWo semi-cylindrical compartments of each pair of thepreceding link and.,holds them together, as shown in Figs. and 6, and :torms'a-y continuous chain-like device.

It will be seen that link members may be addedA or removed, as desired, to provide a device of any desired length. In other words, the deviceimay;

be adjusted to any length merely by supplying additional links or by removing links therefrom;

If the device of my inventionis'to be' usedaas:

an ice pack to Withdraw heat from the body, the device is placed in a deep freeze unit or 1'efrig erating unit so as to cool or freeze the liquid in eaclrofthe compartments 3'. The'links maybe kept separate and assembled together, asv described, When the device is to be used .'or: the links may beinterconnected beforehandgasdesired. If the device is to'be used asia hot'pack for supplying heat to the body, thef. devicefis placed in boiling water or some'suitable heating unit until the liquid in the compartments` 3' reaches the desired temperature,

It will be seen that oneof the main' aspects'iof my invention is that itcan be used like aA band. age and wrapped'around the. particular part :of the body of the patient tobe treated. For-ex` ample, in the case'of a tonsilectomy'ifrit isl de sired to cool the neck, mydevicefcan be vmade: the ,desired length tant lthe patientsrneckandl wrapped therearound1 in a mostY convenient fashion.

' As a-result of myY invention, it will be'. seen thatthere is provided anV improved therapeutical device made? of a 'seriesof removable link mem'- bers 4which may be easily and quickly connected ordisconnected to provide1 a continuous J chainlikedevice of connectedmembers.` ItA willlalso' be seen that my device is made from relatively light weight material, preferablyrsheet'or film stock, so as to provide a device which is extremely light and flexible in its construction, the link members being soV constructed: and. interconnected as to provide a maximum degree of Y'flexibility l between each of them; whichl is a, decided advantage in order that the device'will .conform easily and readily to any part of the .body to be treated.

While I have shown and'described'oneembodiment which my invention may assume in practice, it will be understood that this embodiment isvmerelyforl the purpose offillustration and description, and that other formsmay be devised within the scope of rnyinvention as dened in the appended claims. v

What I claim as my invention is:

l. A'` therapeutical device comprising a 'plurali-ty of independent link members -made from a-ilexible impervious material and having a plurality of spaced-apart parallelV permanently sealed liquid-containingY cells With each being substantially Semi-cylindrical in shape, each of said linkY members khaving an aperture arranged therein between atleast twoof said cells and folded uponitself so thatsaid two cells of each link are disposed opposite each other and complement one'another to provide a cylindrical portion with the apertures between the cells in register withl one another, a loop-like portion formed at one end of each of said linkV memberswhen 4 folded upon themselves, the loop portion of each of said link members being disposed around two of the complementary cells of the next succeeding link member and extending through the apertures thereof so as to provide a continuous chain-like device of connected members.

2. A therapeutical device comprising a plurality of V link members made from a flexible im pervious material and yhaving two vpairs of spaced-apart parallel permanently sealed liquidcontaning cells with each being substantially semi-cylindrical in shape, each of said link members. having an aperture arranged therein betweenthecells of each pair and folded upon it- 4selfso that the cells of each pair are disposed oppositefeachv other and complement one another to provide a cylindrical portion with the apertures' between the cells in registry with one another, the pairs of each link being connected byl a relativelynarrow at portionwhich .forms arloop-likeportion when eaclrlink member is folded'upon itselfwith the loop portion of veach disposed around the outer twoof the comple'- mentary cells ofthe next succeeding link member and extending throughthe'apertures'thereof so as tofprovid'e a.continuous-.chainflike' device of connected members.

3. Alink member foratherapeutical.device made from a flexible material comprising: two groups of spaced-apart permanently sealed liquid-containing cells connectedl byA a relatively narrow thin ilat portion, each' of :said groups having. an aperture arranged in the material between at least 4two of the cells thereof, said'groups being adaptedto be'folded upon .one another at said at portion to form a link member Withtlie apertures in register with one another.

4: A link member for. a1 therapeutical device made fromza ilexible..material comprising'twov pairs of spaced-'apartparallel permanently sealed liquid-containing cellsfwith eachv being substantially semi-cylindrical.' in'. shape, ak relatively narrow andflat portion kconnectingsaid'pairs of cells, eachiofLsaidpairs having an aperture arranged. inthe material between the cells thereof, saidpairs of cells being adapted to be disposed opposite one another with the apertures in register'and the cells complementing oneV another to provide apair of substantially cylindrical portions`with the flat portiony adapted to form a loop when so folded.

5. A therapeutical device comprising' av plurality of independent linkmembersv having at least one permanently sealed liquid-containing cell arranged with each of said link members, each of said link members having an aperture arranged therein to one'side of said cell, a looplike portion arranged on the opposite side of said cell With the loop-like portion of one member adapted to extend through the aperture4 and around the-material of said link'member of the next succeeding link member so as to provide a continuous chain-like device. of connected members.

` 6A therapeutical device comprising a plurality of independent linkmembers having'at least a pair of' complementaryv permanently sealed liquid-containing cellsI arranged with each ofisaid' link members, each ofsaid link members having an aperture arranged therein tov one side of said complementary cells, a loop-like portion formed on th'e opposite side 'of saidcells .when each of the link members is foldedupon itself, each of said link members adapted to be folded upon itself with the loop portion of each of said link membersl extending through the aperture and disposed around the two complementary cells of the next succeeding link members so as to provide a'continuous chain-like device of connected members.

7. A therapeutical device comprising a plurality of independent link members having at least two pairs of complementary permanently sealed liquid-containing cells arranged with each of said link members, each of said link members, each of said link members having an aperture arranged therein between each pair of cells and adapted to be folded upon itself so that the two pairs of cells are disposed opposite each other and complement one another with the apertures between the cells in register with one another, a loop-like portion formed at one end of each of said link members when folded upon themselves with the loop portion of the respective link members being disposed around two of the complementary cells of the next succeeding link member and extending through the apertures thereof so as to provide a continuous chainlike device of connected members.

NOEL J. POUX.

REFERENCES CITED The following referencesv are of record inthe file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

